1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a container comprising a bowl and a lid and, in particular, a container comprising a bowl and a lid each having interfitting lips.
2. Description of the Background of the Invention
Consumers have a variety of food storage needs, including storing leftover solid foods such as lasagna, semi-solid foods such as stews, and liquids such as soups. Containers for storing items such as these foods come in a variety of shapes, sizes and levels of quality. Typically, however, the container includes a bowl or other receptacle and a lid that fits on the bowl and seals the bowl in some way. High quality containers exhibit excellent sealing characteristics, such that even soups will not spill out of the container regardless of the orientation of the container. However, these high quality containers can be so expensive that they are virtually unusable for fear of losing them.
There has been an ongoing demand for less expensive containers that exhibit some of the characteristics of the more expensive containers, such as excellent sealing between the bowl and the lid. Excellent sealing is difficult to achieve with the inexpensive containers, however, because such containers are typically mass-produced, such as in a thermoforming process, using inexpensive materials such as polypropylene. To maintain cost-effectiveness, the materials used are typically at least slightly flexible or are thin enough to be flexible, because such materials or material thicknesses tend to be less expensive and easier to manufacture. However, very rigid materials or thick-walled components, which may be on the order of 80 mils (203 thousandths of a centimeter), have generally been necessary to provide a leak-tight seal between the lid and the bowl.
Another characteristic of high quality containers for which there is high demand in inexpensive containers relates to “plus” factors, or finishing touches. For example, consumers demand containers that provide some feedback indicating whether the lid has been secured onto the bowl. Such feedback may include aural or tactile feedback.
With regard to the seal, U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,696 to Tucker, et al. discloses a “nearly leak tight seal.” The seal in that patent, however, can be difficult to manufacture successfully. The seal area of the Tucker, et al. patent includes a plurality of linear segments on the sides and the top that are in contact with their opposing surfaces to create a seal. This arrangement makes manufacturing tolerances a significant concern, because if any single surface is too long or too short, the other surfaces will not fit together properly.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an inexpensive container that exhibits some of the characteristics of more expensive containers, such as strong seals to contain liquid and solid foods, and one which provides aural or tactile feedback indicating closure.